Motor-vehicle.



E. R. WHITNEY.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED IEB. ze, 1909.

Ll 3 Patented June 24,1913.

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E. R. WHITNEY. MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLIUATION FILED FEB. ze, 19,09.

I 1,065,41 3. Patented'June 24, 1913.

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EDDY R. WHITNEY, OF PHILADELPIIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 COMMERCIAL l TRUCK COMPANY OF AMERICA, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1913.

erence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

vMy present invention relates to motor vehicles, and particularly to the means for supporting and rotating the driving wheels of such vehicles, and the invention consists in numerous novel features in the construction and arrangement of the axle support-- ing the driving wheels and the means for rotating said wheels, the general purpose of which is to obtain a simple, strong and reliable construction in which the parts can' be assembled and disassembled readily wheny necessary for adjustment or repair.'

The Various' features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with artioularity in the claims annexed to and orming a part of. this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter, in which I have illustrated and described one of the forms in which the invention maybe embodied.

Of the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a portion of a motor vehicle equipped with my invention. Fig. 2'is a partial longitudinal section through the axle supporting the driving wheels. Fig. 3, is an elevation, partly in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, illust-rating the connect-ion between the driving motor and the shafts for rotating the driving wheels. Fig. 4L is a' sectional elevation, the' View being taken similarly to Fig. 2, but on a `larger scale. Fig. is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the gimbal joint construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5.. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on the line 7-7 of Fig.v 6, and Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview showing the driving motor and a portion of the axle supporting the driving wheels. A

In the construction shown in detail in the drawings, A represents the frame of the moto-r vehicle, vC" the hangers for the ends of semi-elliptical springs C, .to the middle port-ions of which. .is secured the axle B support-ing the driving wheels D. The

front ends of the spring C are directly pivvoted to the front hangers C1, but the rear ends of the spring C are connected to the rear hangers C1 by links C2. With this arrangement the springs C serve as distance pieces to hoid the rear axle against movement relative to the vehicle frame in a direction longitudinal of the latter. As shown, the ends of the axle B are reduced at B. Surrounding these reduced ends are located ball bearings D2 for the hubs D of the driving wheels.'

D represents the usual brake disk attached to the driving wheel.

The axle B is hollow and composed of two hollow and generally conical portions the bases of which are integrally united at the middle of the axle by a globular, enlarged portion Iuwithin which is located the differential gear through which the driving shafts E are rotated.' lThe shafts E are connected at their outer ends to the wheels D by universal joints lhereinafter describedv in detail. At its inner end each shaft E has connected to it a bevel gear Fthe connection being preferably such that the shafts may be moved axiatlv into and out of engagement with the gears F. The two bevn eled gears F mesh with a series of beveled gears Gr located between them and ournaled on shafts. G which extend radially to the axis of rotation of the shafts E and aremounted in a wheel H comprising a central spider member Il, an annular driving member H2 provided wit-h peripheral teeth H and spider like members H3 which 1are secured to the members H2 and H5 and form in effect a cage inclosing the' gear wheels F- and G. The members H3 are provided with hub portions H4 which loosely surround the shafts E and are journaled byv means of ball bearings H6 in bracket like portions I2 depending from a cover member I which closesan aperture formed in the upper side of the portion' B2 of the axle,- beingA secured in` place against a seat B3 surrounding said aperture-by bolts B4.

The member I is preferably cast integral with va tubular casing member-I provided with seats Is and I for the self-contained ball bearings K and K mounted on the worin shaft L which drives the wheel Ii la, lll@ n Ar' :md lim nul' L" ml ille @ml lle shaft. The

1:; lwld by l bem-lug); z--l eut as gnlglsl l Ll .illuvlemn but; mi; against axial m i :le mmm' l, and the bearing Casing from v @mired is ef;- pzlild falacured. afs lay lml l le of driving Holm' 1.5, .vllch, il; ill@ confs'u'ncon illustluleljl, is; m Qlecllflc mmm: shwft J of Conneoion 'which lion bfstwen lle .shafts shaft L to mme :freely l; Wlh l'espfet to the of lll@ 'om J is con body :l: am@ side, 1i. e. is the axle, so lll@ www :md the casing; mfsml l'luw. ln lm form shown, l5 plosld at ille @ml wlll'l l 5 through wil; ,l8 which als@ passe l alecuef. lo lle millor Q mmemeni sf ille motn' b which body. A heli elmlng; ille bolt JS '2mal A? and. tlm

there .ls l l prev nested. all; n (l. hnl; lim

form :.1

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@upf es my movsm .nl 0f das molex afd. the. vehicle mlm, Wlnle still .Ww pelmlllng )lilly in the connecllsn.'

At lS outer' end. nach driving shaft is wmlecml if) the lmb D by 1L unil/wsdl lolut. This; joint in lll@ 'form Shown is u gmlml joint, ille cmllslrmlim of which is shown clwufljv' in Fig?. -lj 5, G and 7 of "the dlawingflf., 2lb the fouler end oir' each shaft i yreliable :mel L" mi] *for lwlllmg Unel Kling y .slm wl l @lied 111 place 'l'llc inner sllfls y e lo mmc intl) und out of plan@ in llw lnmlllnff with* vfllm lh@ colfresponding Shall; l@ il; 111m axially in ilu: axle, ,pre1- vldwl ilu) lmslxlng B' are not; in p. ce in lll-e :walls E? "The mclmbe 0* is provided Willi :lumber wir of lvllzlmelrczllly opposed immnlons ll which mmh@ muvml fullo uml 0 ol )law in 0pm, sided racllll bushing seam casing, may lf3@ inkom mit @leuning mf lepnls, "llls rapid und m53/ l bling 0f llw members; is; July mol r11' @lliule @una The vill-lons ass deb able @me oil; 1s advanugges of tlm cunsrz lm is found 11 the fact that (he lfwo tllsli poi'iourf. uil lll@ male plojectng imm ha oppsite sill-Les Ulf Gle portion B need not be in line, lm@ il'my'll@ Slightly nulin .zw-l1 Ul'ller as slwvm lo give ille set if Wheels, @mths inclina-- on of the pl ne olf rotation 0i' each wheel rotaion of the other which w. lbl'e in many Cases, While at permitng llhe shafts E io lo@ hell'l in aluwment. llorover, Wlll the mfx'ax'lgeymni@ shown this is atslnefl Willi u conslfuc. un in which de universal juinlgs are mlvlmliagwusly clsppseilJA :m6, in Whcl lut a Shaft section, lill, is @Dlplyelil lwlween i ich wheel und ille (llmcrcnlal, and wllum'i hln slmls li i requiring dile yemov-l of ille vehicle wheels; lo clect such removal.

lVhle the form of the nvenllou which .l

have described la'nd illustrated -is the best now known to me, it will be obvious to those skilled in 'the afrit that some changes in form can vbe made without departing from the spirit ofthe inventioniI It will. also be obvious to those skilled in the art, that-certain features' of my invention can be used without using others.

Having now described 'my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

l. In a motor vehicle thecenibination with the vehicle frame, of a hollow axle, Wheels journuled at the ends thereof, driving shafts for said wheels mounted within theaxle, a differential gear to which the inner ends of said shafts are connected, a driving motor comprising a frame and driving shaft, the latter being geared to said differential gear and the motor frame being rigidly connected to the hollowaxle, and connections between the vehicle frame and the axle consisting of a pair of leaf springs', one at each end thereof, and each directly connected at one end to the vehicle frame, a link connection between the second end of each spring and the frame, and a yielding connection at one side of the axle between the motor frame and t-he vehicle frame, whereby said springs serve as distance pieces, and the motor frame as a torsion member, foiholding the axle against longitudinal and rotative movements relative to the vehicle frame.

2. ln a motor vehicle the combinationv with the vehicle frame of a hollow axle enlarged atits center and fermed with' an opening in its enlarged portion, a cover for said opening, a differential gearmounted on to said extensiom'a shaft journaled in.. said hollow extension, and directly geared to saifd differentialA gear, .and directly connected at one 'end to the shaft o-f said motor to turn with the latter, and a connection at one side of the axle between the motor frame and the vehicle frame whereby' said motor frame and casing serve as a torsion member to hold the axlev against rotation.

8. 1n a motor vehicle, a hollow axle formed withan opening in one side 'between its-ends, a removable cover for said opening, a differential gear located in said hollow axle and supported by and removable with said cover, said differential gear including a toothed driving member, a casing rigidly connected to said cover, a shaft journaled in said casing and extending transversely to the axle, and having teeth meshing with Athe driving member of said-differential gear, and a motor comprising a frame and a rotating shaft, said motor having its frame connected to said casing and its shaft cou-pled vto said first mentioned shaft.

4. ina motor vehicle, a 4hollow axle, comprising two generally conical portions, the axes of which are inclined to each other and the bases of which are rigidly connected by an enlarged portion open at one side, a motor comprising a frame and a rotating shaft, a casing rigidly connecting said frame and said axle with the shaft of the motor extending transverselyllto said axle, said casing comprising a portion for closing the opening in said enlarged axle portion, a differential gear located in s aid enlarged axle portion and supported by said casing, a

shaft journaled in said casing and c oupled at one end to said motor shaft and having teeth meshing with the teeth of the differential gear, vehicle supporting wheels jour,- nale'd on theends of said axle, and driving shafts for said wheels, located in said hollow axle inline with each other and connected, each, at its inner end to thel di'erentialgear,

and at the other end to the corresponding V vehicle supporting wheel.

5. In a motor vehicle, a hollow axle, avdifferential gear mounted therein,'a motor, including a frame and a rotatable shaft, a hollow casing open at one end and rigidly connected at its'other end to the motor frame and, adjacent its open end,to said axle, said. casing being formed with a lateral opening through which the driving member of the` differential gear projects into the casing and being provided with bearing seats at opposite Asides of the differential gear, and a Worm shaft removable through theppen end of the casing and having bearings mounted thereon which seat in said seats, and a key and socket connection between said worm shaft and said rotatable shaft, the seat adjacent the open end of the casing being 'shaped to hold the bearing seated in it against movement 'toward the motor while permitting the other bearing to move through it. 2

G. In a motor vehicle, a hollow axle, r differential gear mounted thereon, a motor inl cluding a frame and a rotatable shaft, a hollow casing open at one end and rigidly connected at its other end to the motor frame and, adjacent its open end, to said axle, said casing being formed with a lateral opening through which the driving meu'iber of the differential gear projects into the casing and being provided with bearing seats at the opposite 'sides vof the differentialv gear,

a worm shaft, removable through the fopen i end-of the casing, having bearings mounted thereon which Seat in said seats, a key and socket connection between sa1d -worm shaft UIN). :114. i115; w

Vi it, mu. u @nfl @i 3 Mhwent homing' Qui f'rvug Shaft@ located li w Shaped 'n mnh 

